Falling Star
by LittleLottieFrost
Summary: Sophie Bennett finds a strange girl in the middle of the forest. She has no memory of who or where she came from. But both her and the Guardians think there is more to this girl then meets the eye.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is the first fanfiction I have ever written. Not sure if it's good or not but hopefully people will like it and be kind to a first timer. It starts out a bit slow but it does pick up momentum so if you can stick with it I think it will be a great story featuring Jack Frost and the other Guardians.**

When I was a child I used to crawl up onto my father's lap and beg him to tell me of his adventures. I would sit wrapped in his arms and he would begin to tell me how he became the first Guardian. How his light shined down on the children of Earth and kept them safe from evil. As he would carry me off to bed I would tell him in a sleepy voice, that only children have, "someday I want to go to earth." Without fail he would always tell me

"I belonged with him shining bright as the brightest star in the night sky."

I would argue with him as I drifted off to sleep my pleas lost as dreams took over.

As I grew up my father hoped that my wish to go to earth would diminish that I would be happy with my place in the night sky and with him. But I was restless for the Earth and to know its wonder. That is why one day, I did what all stars can do, I fell. I fell so far and fast towards the place I always longed for, Earth.

I was cold, so very cold. That is what I remembered first the chill on my skin. I tried to open my eyes and when I finally opened them I was blinded by the whitest white my eyes had ever seen and they started to tear up. When I finally focused and the tears stopped I could see that I was in some sort of field covered with a thin layer of snow. I tried to move but my limbs would not comply and instead protested with great pain. So I lay there for what seemed like forever till I feared I would freeze to the ground. So I willed myself to sit up. I looked around me and all I could see was a clearing lined by snow covered trees. As I sat there I started to hear noises coming from behind me. Faint at first but growing ever closer. I turned slowly to the direction that the noise was coming from and from out of the trees emerged a small girl bound up in a large pink jacket and a fluffy pink hat to match. All I could do was stare at her as she stared at me. Then she started to come closer and when she reached me she plopped herself down right in front of me. We continued to stare at each other and then she opened her mouth and spoke in a small voice.

"Aren't you cold sitting out here in a dress?"

I looked down at myself and sure enough I was clad in a pale blue dress lined with small white crystals along the bottom hem and up to my waist with white crystal capped sleeves. It was at this point that I realized how truly exposed I was and pulled my legs up to my chest and began to violently shiver.

"You must be freezing dressed like that, are you a fairy?"

I looked directly into her bright green eyes and said with all honesty in a raspy voice.

"I…don't…I don't know who I am."

The little girl tilted her head to the side and considered this for a minute and said

"Hmmm I think you're a fairy, you're dressed like a fairy and you're pretty like a fairy, so you must be a fairy. Trust me I know I've met a fairy before."

At this she puffed up her chest in pride and continued.

"She was all feathers though but still you are pretty like her."

Suddenly a wind picked up and brought with it a biting cold and I began to shiver with renewed strength. The little girl before me saw this and jumped up where she stood startling me back into the snow-covered ground.

"You must be freezing. You should come home with me and my brother will make you some coco."

I looked up at her confused "What is coco?" Her eyes grew wider, as if that was possible, and looked down at me.

"You don't know what coco is?"

"I'm sorry but I don't seem to know what that is."

I said trying to stand up. As I finally found myself in a vertical position she leaped forward towards me and grabbed my hand in her pink fuzzy one and almost pulled me off my feat as she dragged me towards coco. As I faltered through the snow her voice sang out to me

"I'm Sophie, what's your name."

All I could do was watch where I stepped and tried desperately to think, who am I?

"I'm sorry but I don't know who I am."


	2. Chapter 2

The room we entered was wonderfully warm and I could feel my body start to thaw as I looked around the kitchen. Sophie was busily undressing herself of her winter clothes and calling out loudly to her brother that she was back, wanted coco, and had brought a friend over. When she finally pealed off her gloves she walked over to the chair next to me and plopped herself down to stare up at me as I assumed we waited for her brother and this mysterious coco.

"How can you not know your name? Everyone has a name you know. Your parents give it to you and it's yours for the rest of your life. So you have to have a name."

I looked down at my hands and tried to think about what my name might be but all I could feel was fuzziness in my mind where I imagine my name must be.

"I think I have a name I just can't remember what it is, or who I am."

"Maybe you were being chased by fairy catchers and as you were flying away from them you bumped your head?"

With that Sophie jumped out of her seat and walked behind me and parted my long white blonde hair aside and started to poke at my back. I swiveled in my chair and asked her what she thought she was doing.

"Well all fairies have wings but I don't see any on your back. Maybe the fairy catchers ripped them off and you fell or something and hit your head."

"I guess that is possible but wouldn't my back hurt then if they were ripped out?"

Sophie scratched her head and began to poke at my back again,

"That doesn't hurt?"

"Well it doesn't feel wonderful but not painful. Maybe I'm not a fairy then, maybe I'm someone else."

"You have to be a fairy. Only fairies dress like that and when I found you there were no foot prints around you."

"So what does that mean."

"That you didn't walk there, you had to have fallen and only fairies can fall like that, so you have to be a fairy."

Come to think about it there weren't any footprints around me when I woke up and there was no fresh snow on me so she was right I had to have fallen from some place. Maybe I was this fairy she was talking about. As I was thinking about what she had said I could hear shuffling coming from another room in the house and then all of a sudden in bounded a large hairy beast. I vaulted from my seat, tipping it over, as the animal tried to make it's way over to me around Sophie who was now trying to hold it back.

"No Abby, bad Abby go away right now."

But the dog was just too big for her and weaved its way around and with all its might tried to jump on top of me. All I could do was back up into a cupboard and hop on top. I rummaged around behind me for something to fend this beast off with and to my surprise grabbed something solid. It was a spoon, a large wooden spoon, but it would half to do. In the deepest and loudest voice I could muster from atop my perch I said

"Back you foul beast, be gone with thy self."

This of course did no good and the dog continued to try and join me atop my cupboard. As this was going on a boy rounded the corner and started at the scene before him. I can only imagine what he saw. This little girl grabbing at the beasts collar trying desperately to get the animal to back down and behind this was I waving a wooden spoon madly in the face of this scrambling beast. I think the situation finally dawned on him as he rushed over and pulled the dog down and dragged it across the room securing it in the next room over and shutting the door. Turning around he walked back into the kitchen as I slowly made my way back onto the floor. Brushing out my dress I looked up at the new presence in the room. He was a bit shorter then me with ruffled brown hair that he continued to muss with in an attempt, I can imagine, figuring out what to say. This was taken care of by Sophie.

"Jamie guess what I found a fairy. I brought her home, will you make us some coco."

The boy, Jamie looked down at his sister and then back up at me. He then cleared his throat and said,

"Umm who in the world are you?"

"I just told you Jamie she's a fairy, but she doesn't remember who she is. I think that fairy catchers were chasing her and pulled her wings out and then she fell to the ground. That's where I found her in the clearing."

Gulping down a breath she continued,

"See she is wearing a fairy dress and she looks like a fairy. Well she doesn't look like the tooth fairy but she is as pretty as her and she had to have fallen from the sky because there were no footprints around her."

All I could do was look down at this blonde little girl and back up at the boy Jamie which is all he could do as well. He finally found his voice and looked at me

"Hi I'm Jamie and I guess you have met my sister Sophie. I'm sorry for her behavior she has an overactive imagination. Can I ask what your name is?"

"That is what I have been trying to tell you Jamie she doesn't know." Sophie piped in.

I looked at both of them and meekly said,

"She is right I don't know who I am, I suppose I could be a fairy, and she is telling the truth about how she found me. I really just don't know where or who I am."

It was just all too much and I began to cry. I couldn't stop it I put my hands over my face as the tears pooled in my palms. I just stood there crying for what seemed like forever till the boy Jamie spoke up.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you cry, here sit down and I will make you some coco."

From in front of me Sophie pulled on my arm and led me over to the chair that had fallen and pulled it back upright and gestured for me to sit down. She then walked over to the other cupboard and pulled down some tissue for me. Handing it to me she said

"Please don't cry we'll figure out who you are and I promise Abby won't attack you again. It will all be alright."

I knew she believed every word that came out of her mouth but I couldn't help but think it might never be ok if I didn't start to remember who I am.

I wiped away my tears as the boy Jamie began to pull items out of the cupboards. He set three cups in front of Sophie and myself and opened up a canister of brown powder and began to pour spoonfuls of it into each cup. He noticed me looking at the canister and the cups and said

"It's coco, it doesn't have any marshmallows in it but it's still pretty good."

I gave him a faint smile of appreciation as he turned away and picked up my mug and let some of the brown powder into my mouth. This I learned was neither a smart nor the right way to drink coco. All I could do was cough the powder out of my mouth making a large mess on the table. Sophie and Jamie ran around getting me another tissue and a glass of water. After I had calmed down they looked at me and Sophie spoke first.

"You really haven't ever had coco before?"

"I'm sorry but no I haven't. I'm not even sure what coco is. I assume it's a food of some kind since you put it in a cup, but no I do not know of this coco."

This response warranted more stares till Jamie spoke up and explained that coco was a drink and was best when combined with hot milk. I blushed at this feeling of complete stupidity and cast my eyes down to my hands laying in my lap. Jamie went back to preparing the hot milk over the stove. When the milk was done he poured more of the brown powder into my cup and then poured the milk on top of it. He put a spoon in it and began to stir and the brown powder dissolved into a brown drink. He warned me that it was hot and to sip it at first. I put the warm cup to my lips and sipped down some of the brown liquid. It was amazing. I had never tasted anything like it before in my entire life, and everything seemed to fade away as I consumed the warm drink.

We all sat there in silence while we sipped at our drinks, all of us trying to figure out what to say. Jamie was the first to speak.

"So how about you start from the beginning and tell me what is going on here?"

Sophie began to speak but Jamie quieted her down and looked at me to give the explanation. I stared into my cup and began with everything I remembered, which wasn't much. I told him that all I remember is waking up in the snow covered field and meeting Sophie. I explained how she took me here and well the rest he knew. He looked curiously at me and began to speak.

"So you have no idea who you are, you obviously have never seen a dog before considering you kept calling it a beast, and you have never drank coco?"

"And she is a fairy, don't forget that Jamie that is the most important part."

"Sophie we don't know who she is so lets forget about the fairy stuff for just now ok?"

She petulantly looked back up at him and murmured a yes.

"Well I guess all we can do now is wait for my mom to get home, she will know what to do. I'm sure she can call someone and hey maybe she knows you. Maybe you hit your head and you are like one of those amnesia people who don't remember who they are."

I wrapped my arms around my shoulders and shrugged as I shuddered a bit. Jamie must have noticed and leapt from his seat, saying he would return with something warmer for me to put on so I didn't freeze in the thin dress I was wearing. I sat there for a while with Sophie and she asked me questions in an attempt to jog my memory but to no avail. Moments later Jamie returned with a warm looking red sweater and blue pants. He told me that they were clothes his mom was going to give away so she wouldn't miss them. He then directed me to the bathroom down the hall and closed the door behind me. When I turned around I was faced with myself in the mirror. I looked horrible. My face was red and splotchy from crying and my pale blue dress was wet and slightly dirty in some parts. And my hair, my hair was all over the place as if I had been struck by electricity. I tried smoothing it down as best I could and began to undress to put the warmer clothes on. When I was done I folded up my dress and sat down on the toilet and began to try and remember, but still nothing came to me, not even a name in which to call myself. Giving up I opened up the door and made my way back into the kitchen. Sitting there on the table where I was sitting was another hot cup of the coco. I slumped into the chair and began to sip this cup much slower then the first. After a few minutes I spoke up,

"I suppose I need a name, you can't keep calling me fairy."

I looked over at Sophie and smiled

"What should my name be?"

Sophie looked up at me as if I had given her the happiest task in her whole life and she stared back down at her cup scrunching up her brow in an attempt to name me. The moments ticked by till she all but screamed the name Tinker Bell. I looked down at her as did Jamie and he burst out laughing. I couldn't figure out what was so funny and neither could Sophie. It seemed like an ok name to me but this seemed to make Jamie laugh so hard he was starting to tear up. Sophie scowled at him and asked why he was laughing.

"You can't name her Tinker Bell that isn't even a proper name Sophie."

"But that is what Peter Pan's fairy was named and she has blonde hair like tinker bell. Although her dress is white I still think she could be a Tinker Bell."

Jamie and Sophie argued about this for a bit while I asked myself if I could be this Tinker Bell they spoke of but it still didn't seem right. As I was thinking my mind flashed on an older laughing man standing above me. He looked down on me and called me…Ara.

"Ara my name is Ara."

I said a little more loudly then I should have. They stopped their fighting and looked at me.

"Your name is Ara? That is such a pretty name. I like that much better then Tinker Bell."

Sophie said looking at me with a smile on her face. As we were all smiling from the revelation of my name a tall woman walked into the kitchen. She looked down at me over half moon glasses and smiled

"Hi I'm Karen, are you one of Jamie's friends. Sorry you don't look familiar to me. Although he has so many friends they all seem to blend together."

Before Jamie could speak Sophie spoke.

"No mom she is here to be my nanny."

I looked down at Sophie as quick as Jamie did and we both tried asking with our eyes what in the world she was saying.

"She found your thingy in the paper and came to the house. She is really nice mom and she likes coco can she be my nanny mom can she, pretty please?"

Startled a bit by Sophie's undying admiration of me Karen hesitantly said,

"Oh you are here for the nanny position. I should have known you do seem a bit older then Jamie's friends. I'm sorry let me go take the dog out and I will be right back to interview you for the position."

I smiled up at her as she walked away. When she rounded the corner for the dog in the other room we both spun on Sophie giving her the most scathing look. Jamie was the first to speak.

"What in the world are you doing Sophie she can't be the nanny. You found her in a field and she only just remembered her name. What in the world is she going to tell mom. 'Yeah I just woke up in a field and I would be as pleased as punch to take care of your kids. Oh by the way I only know my first name, I have no address and no idea who I am or where I come from.'"

"Jamie's right Sophie I don't even know who I am let alone what a nanny even is. I need to figure out who I am so I can get home."

Sophie looked at both of us and you could see she was almost on the verge of crying. Gulping down her tears she started to explain herself.

"I found her in the field full of snow with no foot prints around her in a fairy dress without knowing who she is. She has to be a fairy Jamie."

"Look Sophie we can't keep her it isn't like she is some pet you found and brought home she isn't like Abby she is a person and I'm sure someone is looking for her out there. We need to tell mom so she can call the police and they can try and find her family."

"But Jamie what if she is like Them?"

Jamie looked back to me and stared. I looked back at him trying to figure out who "Them" were. With a release of breath Jamie started to speak,

"Ok here is what we are going to do, I can't believe I am saying this, Ara you should stay with us for now. I know it sounds weird but, as much as I hate to admit this, Sophie has a point. It's a bit weird how she found you and well we are experienced in weird. Just interview for the nanny position and I know mom will give it to you because Sophie has chased away every person for this job so far and the fact that she is actually happy you are applying has to make mom over the moon. I will tell her that you are the sister of a one of the kids at school saving up for college or something. The position is live in so you would stay here with us and basically all you have to do is take care of Sophie and I can help you with that till we figure out what is going on here."

I sat there looking back and forth at both of them. Within the span of an hour or so a small little girl and a young boy had unofficially adopted me. I only knew my first name and now I am actually considering living with them. But the odd thing was part of me was ok with it. I'm not sure what the police he spoke of are but I guess it's better to go with what you know right now versus what you don't.

"I suppose it would be ok but just till I figure out who I am."

Sophie began to jump up and down in her chair and Jamie began filling me in on what I should say to his mother.


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn't terribly hard getting the job as the nanny. I told Karen that I was the sister of a new kid at Jamie's school and that I was saving up for college, whatever that was. It helped of course that Sophie was completely taken with me and Jamie endorsed me as well. She let me know how much it paid, and apologized that it was so little but ever since Jamie and Sophie's father left them money was a bit tight but she hoped being able to have free room and board would make up for that. I graciously accepted the position and she showed me where my room would be and the rest of the house. She even introduced me to the beast Abby who come to find out was a "dog." She was a lot calmer this time and she let me pet her. Karen asked me when I could start and I looked back at Jamie.

"She said that she could start today but that she needs to go back home and get some clothes and stuff like that."

I nodded as Karen looked back at me confused as to where I was going to produce these clothes. Thankfully Karen saved me,

"Ok well let me get you your first pay check, well it's not a check it's actually cash if that's ok, and then we will see you back here after you get your stuff how does that sound?"

"That sounds wonderful."

I smiled a little crookedly thinking where am I going to get clothes and what in the world was cash.

"Can I go with her mom I want to go see her brother and talk about the homework for tomorrow?"

"Well I don't know, how far away do you live Ara?"

"She only lives a few bus stops over mom it will be fine. Is that ok Ara?"

"Yes of course that will be fine, I'm…umm…sure my brother will be happy to see you."

Before I could say anything else Jamie was grabbing his winter wear and my hand, dragging me out the door and down the street. Leaving his mother I can only expect to wonder where my Jacket and gloves were. When we got a few house away I breathed a sigh of relief and was surprised we even pulled that off. I looked at Jamie and asked,

"Where in the world am I going to get clothes and this other stuff you are talking about?"

"I have that under control, there is a thrift store a few blocks away that has some decent clothes for a good price. There should be enough money there to get you some good stuff. Not all that fancy mind you but it will be warm I'm sure, at least a lot warmer then your dress was."

I smiled at him relieved that he knew exactly what to do because at this point I had no clue what was even going on. We got to the thrift store and Jamie started to pick out some sweaters, shirts and pants for me. He stammered a bit when he tried to explain to me about under garments but at least for his sake I knew what those were and was able to pick out some at the drug store next door while he picked out a small brush and a tube of some sort. We shoved all of the clothes and other stuff I would need into a rather worn suitcase we got from the thrift store and made our way back. As we were walking I couldn't help but wander back to what Jamie had said earlier that they were used to stuff that was "weird." I couldn't help myself I had to know what he meant by that.

"Jamie earlier you said that you were used to weird stuff. What did you mean by that, and what does it have to do with me."

I could see Jamie squirm a bit as we walked down the sidewalk, he obviously either didn't want to answer the question or really didn't know how.

"Well some weird stuff happened to me and Sophie about four years ago. It is possible that you could be somehow connected to that. I'm not really sure right now but what I do know is that you don't really seem like you know anything about this world. Sophie found you surrounded by snow but with no footprints around you and no snow on you so it hadn't snowed to cover any footprints up. Even though it sounds odd you might not exactly be from around here."

He removed his hat and began to run his mittened hands through his hair and then continued.

"I don't know I have to think about this and figure out some stuff. For now lets just say I don't think Sophie is entirely crazy with calling you a fairy because you obviously aren't like us."

I had no idea what to even say to that. "Not like us." What was that supposed to mean? If I wasn't like them then who am I like?

We came back to the house and Sophie dragged me up to my room so I could put my clothes away. She sat on the bed and babbled on about fairies and what they were like and where they came from. I only half heard what she was saying because all of a sudden the entire days events hit me and I started to feel the first tugs of sleep. Karen saved me again by coming in the room and taking Sophie away to be put to bed. She said she would be back with an alarm clock and that she would let me get some sleep and that she would be downstairs working on her taxes, whatever those are. She came back with a rectangular looking box with numbers featured on the front of it. Changing numbers to be exact, which meant it had to be some form of time telling device but nothing like I had ever seen before. Karen explained that Sophie got up at 6 a.m. and she expected me to be up at that time too to make her breakfast and get her dressed for the day. She showed me how to set the alarm and how to turn it off and then left to leave but stopped in the doorway.

"Ara I want to thank you so much for taking this position and so quickly too. The way Sophie was going I didn't think she would let anyone else take care of her but Jamie or me. It's been rather hard these past months what with my husband leaving and having to take care of both Jamie and Sophie. I'm just so happy you are here."

With that I could see her shoulders relax a little as she left but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the sadness that was clearly present in her voice.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't remember going to sleep, all I remember is laying down on the bed and then the dream came. I was sitting in a large room, a beautiful room. The walls were a pale pearlescent and glowed slightly as the chandelier above spread it's light across the room. I sat on a large bed covered in pale blue sheets similar to the color of my dress which I was wearing as I sat on the bed. I looked around the room and somehow it all seemed familiar to me. Suddenly I heard footsteps coming from outside the door and the handle started to turn. As the door creaked open pale yellow glittery light shown out from beyond it. Just as the door was to swing open to reveal who was on the other side a buzzing started to begin. I sat straight up in the bed and blearily looked around the room. Not the pearlescent one but the one that Karen had given me last night. Next to the bed the clock went off buzzing through the room. I hit the button that Karen had said would stop it and swung my legs out over the floor. There was something I was supposed to be doing but that dream. Who was on the other side of that door? It was on the tip of my tongue but I just couldn't remember and the familiar fuzziness took over again. As I was trying to figure out my dream my door swung open

"GOOD MORNING ARA!"

My heart started beating a mile a minute as I focused on the little blonde headed girl in front of me rushing towards my bed. That's right Sophie I was supposed to be getting Sophie breakfast and then dressed. Sophie jumped on the bed and scooted herself to sit next to me. I looked down at her and smiled.

"Well I guess it's time to get you some food and then get you dressed. Ummm…there is just one thing what do you eat and how do I make it?"

Sophie dragged me downstairs to the kitchen and explained to me that her mom had called in and picked up another shift at the hospital where she worked as a nurse and had already left. I nodded not exactly knowing what either a hospital or a nurse was and began to open up the cupboards. I knew enough to pull down a plate, a cup, and some silverware but past that I was a bit lost and turned to Sophie,

"So what is it that you eat?"

"Well mom usually makes me toast with butter and honey on it and a glass of milk."

"Umm…what exactly is toast? I know what butter, honey and milk are, but I'm not to sure what toast is."

Sophie got up and went over to the icebox, which I later found out is called a refrigerator, not an icebox. She pulled out a bag of bread and plopped it on the counter. She instructed me to take two slices out of the bag and put them into the slots of a shiny metal box. Then I was to pull down on the knob at the side and when it was done it would pop up and be hot and toasted. I did this for Sophie and then again for myself and Sophie and I sat down to eat our breakfast. As we were finishing our food Jamie made his way into the kitchen and towards the refrigerator. I told him I could make him toast, as I was not proficient in using the toaster. He declined and started on his own breakfast of what he called cereal. After Sophie finished her toast and milk I put them in the sink and washed them off, dried them and placed them back where I had found them. I then followed Sophie upstairs to her room to help her pick out an outfit for the day as she helped me pick out an outfit as well. We then made our way back downstairs to a larger room, which housed a comfy sofa, and what Sophie called a television. She turned on the box and suddenly the room was filled with the light emanating from the box and characters began to dance and sing. I sat next to Sophie enchanted by what was going on before me. Sophie explained to me that it was a show called Winx Club. Which I found out was about fairies that go to a school. Sophie kept asking me if any of it sounded familiar but I had to let her down telling her, that it didn't. We continued to watch this show till Jamie came downstairs in his winter clothes

"I'm going to head off to the bus stop to go to school is there anything you need to know before I leave."

"Ummm what am I supposed to do exactly as the nanny?"

"Basically just watch the television with Sophie. If she wants to go outside make sure she puts on her jacket, gloves and hat. Don't go too far, mainly stick to the yard and if she wants to go to the forest only go as far as where she found you. She isn't supposed to go out there alone but she never listens. Just play with her, she is pretty easy going but has a lot of energy so watch out. I will be back from school around 3:30."

"Jamie when you get back would it be possible to…to talk about what we were talking about on the way home from the thrift store?"

"Yeah sure we can figure out all of that when I get back, bye."

With that he rushed out the door and I was left to take care of Sophie for the day.

After we had finished watching the television Sophie decided she wanted to go outside to the field where she found me to search for clues as to where I came from. I got her all dressed up in her winter wear and threw on my new grey jacket and matching hat, mitten and scarf set that I had bought at the thrift store. Holding her hand we made our way to the field where I first turned up. It looked much the same but there was more snow on the ground now, which made it hard to find the exact spot where I had "landed" as Sophie put it. We rummaged around in the snow for a bit but not finding anything Sophie told me that we should make a snowman. Oddly enough I knew what a snowman was and exactly how to build one. In fact snow was something very familiar to me somehow. And then that feeling returned like a shiver through my mind trying to help me remember something but it was just out of reach. As we were making the snowman Sophie began to tell me stories about her adventures. Some were about how she had found some animal in woods but it wasn't really an animal but a prince turned into one by an evil witch. As she went on one story in particular caught my attention. It was about the snow and the person responsible for it, Jack Frost. As she told me the story about how Jack Frost froze the lake over so they could go skating on it last winter I felt like what she was telling me was important and the feeling returned. Something in her story was familiar but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what.

"Sophie, this Jack Frost where does he come from, what is he like?"

"Hmmm well he is tall and he has white hair. Kind of like yours but yours is more like a blondish white while his is pure white like snow. He floats around on the wind and he can freeze stuff with his staff that he carries. He's a really good friend of Jamie's and mine. He comes around every once in a while and we play."

As she said this we finished the snowman we had been working on and sat on the ground to admire our work.

"Ara why do you want to know about Jack Frost?"

"I don't know it's just that the name it sounds familiar somehow but, I don't know maybe it's just one of those things people know, like what a cup is or what snow is."

"Ara, how can you know Jack Frost but not know television? That is weird."

It was weird how could I know this obviously mythical character that Sophie made up but I can't even figure out how a television or toaster works on my own?

"You know what maybe you know Jack Frost. You're a fairy so you must know Jack. Maybe if Jack Frost came here you would remember being a fairy and he could take you back to your home."

"Sophie I don't know about that how about we just make a fort and after that we go back and I can try and figure out how to make coco for you?"

"No Jack can help you I know he can. He's really nice and fun and he probably knows you. I will call him and then he can help you remember."

Before I could say anything Sophie started to shout out the name Jack Frost. This went on for about five minutes with no result. It wasn't like I expected anything to happen but a part of me kind of hopped Sophie was right. I stood up ready to collect Sophie and head back to the house when the wind started to pick up and it started to get colder.

"Sophie it's getting colder now we should go inside where it's warm."

But before I could move towards her something started to move above us. It was distant at first; only a dot in the sky but it was quickly coming closer to us. I wanted to believe it was some animal but as it loomed closer I could tell it was no animal, it had arms and legs, it was a person and they were hurtling towards us at breakneck speed. I ran over to Sophie and grabbed her up in my arms and started to back away as a boy, no older then 18, landed in front of us in the snow. He was just as Sophie had described him. Snow white hair and a large staff. His clothes were frosted over and he had absolutely no shoes on. But the most startling part of him was his eyes. They were as blue as the sky during winter and they were staring directly at us. I kept trying to back away but I couldn't move. A person had just fell from the sky. Somehow Sophie wriggled away from my vice like grip and ran over to the boy laughing and smiling as she jumped into his arms.

"Jack you came, I knew you would we just had to wait a bit."

"Sophie get down this is going to look very weird to your friend over there being as to her it looks like you are floating in mid air."

"It's ok Ara is a fairy she can see you can't you Ara?"

At this both Sophie and Jack looked up at me. I still was trying to wrap my head around this as I felt a tug on my jacket.

"Ara you can see him can't you, I know you can."

The boy in front of me laughed at this floating in the air as he did and for some reason this upset me. How dare he scare the living daylights out of me falling from the sky and now he is laughing at me.

"How dare you."

At this he stopped laughing and looked down at me.

"How dare you hurtle down from the sky from who knows where and scare me half to death and then just laugh at the situation like it's nothing."

I could feel the color in my cheeks rising and I did the only thing I could. I scooped up Sophie and started to walk briskly back to the house. I didn't exactly know what I was doing but it seemed the only logical thing to do at the time. I was stopped of course as Jack Frost flew over our heads and landed right in front of our paths. Not being prepared for this I stumbled in the snow and fell backwards with Sophie still in my arms as I landed hard on my backside.

"Sophie are you ok did I hurt you?"

"No I'm fine but you shouldn't be mad at Jack that's just how he is. You can see him though can't you? I knew you could."

"You really can see me can't you?" Jack said

"Of course I can see you I'm not blind."

Sophie wriggled out of my grasp again and stood next to Jack.

"I'm so sorry please let me help you up."

Jack reached down and attempted to grab my hand but at this point I was so mad at him I slapped it away and stood up on my own and brushed away the snow.

"I really am sorry I didn't think you could see me I wouldn't have laughed if you could have seen me I swear."

"Yes you would have."

Sophie piped in next to him.

"Ok so maybe I would have but I really am sorry its just people of your age, well they can't see me. You shouldn't be able to see me. How in the world can you see me?"

"I told you Jack she's a fairy."

"Are you a fairy?' He said a look of astonishment on his face.

I looked at both of them completely out of my depth here.

"I really don't know." I murmured.

I could feel the tears start to form and I just collapsed on the ground. This was just too much. First I don't know who I am or where I came from and now there are flying boys with no shoes on.

"Hey don't cry I really am sorry I laughed I just…I do stupid things sometimes without thinking. Please don't cry."

I looked up into those blue eyes standing so close to me and I felt somehow better like things might be ok. Then I wiped away at my tears. This isn't going to be ok I don't know who I am and now there is this strange flying boy.

"I'm fine."

I stood up and looked again into the smiling face of Jack Frost and I couldn't help it I smiled back.

"Jack, Jack, Jack." Came Sophie from beside us.

"Yes little lady?"

And with that Sophie told Jack my story as she knew it. When she was done Jack looked back up at me.

"What she says is it true?"

"I…I don't know. I don't remember anyone chasing me, having wings, or falling from the sky. But the rest how she found me and took me in that part is true."

"And she can see you Jack."

"That's true you shouldn't be able to see me."

"Why not?" I said still a bit confused.

"Because you are older."

"I'm about the same age as you are why does that even matter."

"Well I am 300 odd years old so I doubt you are as old as me but the fact is only children can see me."

"Why only children?"

"Because only children believe in me and you are definitely not a child."

For some reason I blushed at this and he saw it and a smile slid across his face. I looked away and composed myself.

"So why is it I can see you?"

He looked confused by this,

"I honestly don't know but Sophie is right in some respect you are not like the rest of the people on Earth."

That word, Earth, I know that word I know that place. Suddenly it started to get dark around me and the last thing I remember was falling into someone's cold arms.


	5. Chapter 5

I was in that pearlescent room again and in the same spot on the bed. Everything was the same, even the footsteps coming down the hall. The door creaked open as it had before and that wonderful light spilled in. I know that light,

"Ara are you there Ara?"

That voice I know that voice. Then I was awake staring into the eyes of Sophie and Jack as I lay in my bed. I started to get up,

"Not too fast you passed out there for awhile."

Came the calm voice of Jack on my left. I looked over at him and I could see concern dance across his face.

"I'm fine I just…I got light headed is all."

"Not surprising, people falling from the sky and all."

A crooked smile crossed his face and I couldn't help but feel a bit better. Then Sophie started to sniff

"I thought you were dead Ara. You fell and Jack caught you and brought you back here and you wouldn't wake up. I was so scared."

And she started to cry. I folded her up in my arms

"Don't worry Sophie I'm fine I think all the excitement got to me. I'm ok now don't worry it takes more then shoeless boys falling from the sky to bring me down."

This seemed to make her feel better and she wiped the tears away but refused to let go just yet.

"Jack what in the world are you doing here?"

We all swung around to look in the doorway at Jamie, whose mouth was agape.

"Sophie called me and then well all hell seemed to break loose."

"Sophie you shouldn't be calling Jack here like that especially in front of…wait you can see him?"

"Yes I can." I said still holding the sniffing figure of Sophie in my arms.

"How in the world can you see him? I mean I can see him and I'm older but that is different…I mean I've seen so much and…how in the world can you see him?"

"I really don't know but the fact of the matter is I can. I am also going to take a stab in the dark and guess this is that weird stuff you were talking to me about?" I said with an arch of my brow.

"Well yes, part of it anyway."

"Part of it you mean there is more then just white haired flying boys?'

"Umm yes but we can talk about that later."

"Oh no we are going to talk about this right now."

But before anyone could respond we all heard the front door open and the voice of Karen below letting us know she was home.

"Oh no mom is home, look we can talk about this later. Jack you should go for now."

"I think that might be for the best."

Jack looked down at me with what I can only think was concern and then he turned to go.

"Wait Jack could you ask the others what you think about Ara and why she can see you?"

"Sure Jamie I will ask them. I think they will be as curious as I am. Plus they might know something I don't."

I looked from Jack to Jamie furious again that I seemed to be left out of what was going on. But before I could get angry Jack bounded out of the room and through the window and was gone. I looked down at Sophie and her face was no longer blotchy so we headed down stairs to see Karen and hopefully get something to eat.

The rest of the night was blissfully normal, or at least normal as far as I could tell. We ate dinner and watched some more Winx Club then Karen carried the sleeping body of Sophie to bed. As I heard them reach the top of stairs I rounded on Jamie

"Ok what in the world is going on here. Who is Jack Frost and who in the world is he going to talk to about me?"

Jamie looked sheepish as he tried to form words,

"Jack is part of a group called The Guardians. They are the protectors of the Earth's children. There is Santa Clause, The Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy, The Sandman and of course Jack Frost. About four years ago someone called Pitch Black attacked the children of the world. He tried to destroy the belief in the Guardians so he could basically be the one everyone believed in and feared. Together we stopped him and banished him back to wherever he came from."

I had no idea what to even say to that. Not because it sounded ridiculous and out of this world but because it didn't. Nothing Jamie just said sounded like something he just made up. And it wasn't because I met Jack Frost today. Even before that when Sophie was telling me about him still it didn't feel made up. Jamie looked at me waiting for me to say anything.

"So that is who Jack is going to go and talk to these other Guardians?"

"Yes they have been around a lot longer then Jack and they might know why you can see him or maybe where you come from. If in fact you are in some way like them. To be honest you might just be a girl who lost her memory who for some reason can see things only children believe in."

I stared down at my hands and quietly mumbled

"Is that what you believe that I am just some girl who lost her memory?"

"To be honest at first yes I did but you can see Jack so I have to think you might just be more then meets the eye."

For some reason that made me feel better and just a little less scared.

Eventually Karen got Sophie to sleep and came back downstairs and plopped herself back down in the armchair next to the couch.

"So how was your day with Sophie? She didn't cause you too much problems did she?"

"Oh no we had a lot of fun. We watched her television shows and then we went outside to play and built a snowman."

I figured it was wise to leave out the boys falling from the air and my fainting spell. Karen seemed pleased that all was working out so well and announced she was heading to bed and that is where Jamie should head too. I decided since I really had no idea how to work the television that I should also go to bed as well.

It was so easy to drift off to sleep considering the day that I had. Plus I wanted desperately to have that dream again and find out who was behind the door. I knew if I could just find that out I would somehow know who I was. So I started to dream but I didn't get very far as I was awoken by an ice cold hand covering my mouth and blue eyes staring down at me.

"It's just me, Jack. I'm going to move my hand ok don't scream."

He removed his hand and the color in me rose ready to yell at my nighttime intruder when I realized we weren't alone in the room. At the foot of my bed was assembled the oddest bunch of creatures I think I had ever seen. I sat there wide-eyed and all I could do was look back at Jack and squeak out something that was really not a word.

"I'm sorry I know this is a bit much but they wanted to see if you could see them too…So I guess you can huh?"

Every bone in my body wanted to throttle the pale boy next to me but I couldn't take my eyes away from the people in front of me. Actually lets go with beings considering there was a bunny rabbit among them so the word "people" really didn't apply hear. Before I could say anything one of them flew towards me.

"Hi I'm Tooth. I know this is odd but can I just take a quick look at your teeth?"

I turned towards Jack with a look of abject horror on my face and he thankfully understood the fear spreading across me.

"Tooth I think she might be a little scared by the fact that she has just been confronted with strange people and a bunny rabbit let's give her some space."

The one called Tooth flitted back to the edge of the bed with the rest of them. I finally squeaked out

"Umm…Umm why do you want to look at my teeth?"

"Oh you can tell a lot from a persons teeth. I can tell when I collected yours and then maybe we can figure out where you belong."

Tooth smiled at me trying to reassure me that this was completely normal behavior but it was Jack I looked to

"Tooth here is the Tooth Fairy she collects all the teeth of all the children in the world. The teeth she collects hold memories of your past. So it's possible that she should be able to figure out who you are and then be able to give you back your memories."

I looked back at Tooth and all I could do was open my mouth. She came over and looked at my teeth then at my face as if she was trying to divine something of me, but the look on her face did not fill me with hope.

"This is very odd indeed."

"What is it Tooth?"

Bellowed the largest of the group the one with the white beard and jolly demeanor about him. Tooth looked back at all of them and back at me

"All of your teeth are original."

"What does that mean Tooth?" asked Jack.

"It means that none of her teeth have ever fallen out. It means I have never collected any of her teeth."

Somehow this revelation amazed the ones gathered before me.

"Umm why does it matter if you haven't collected my teeth what is so weird about that?"

Tooth turned back to me with a look of concern on her face.

"Oh sweetie…you see, like Jack said I collect the teeth of all the children in the world. When you are younger you grow teeth and then as you get older you loose those teeth to make way for your adult teeth. When you loose a tooth my fairies come and collect it so I can store it away and keep it safe. In those teeth are your memories of childhood of who you were. I keep those precious memories safe. But your teeth they have never fallen out which is not possible considering your age."

I looked around the room from each face to the next and for some reason they all looked both concerned and sad at the same time as if I had lost something I can't even remember having in the first place.

"Well I mean that can't be that odd, I mean isn't it the same for all of you?"

It was the biggest of the bunch that stepped forward to answer my question.

"All of us in front of you we weren't always what we are now. We lived lives before we became Guardians. All of us were mortal and young once and we lost teeth which Tooth here collected. Somewhere she holds our memories as well. For you to not have lost teeth means you are something else entirely and I am sorry to say I don't know what you could be. I'm sorry."

With those last words I started to cry. I didn't sob I just silently sat there and cried. Standing before me were beings that were my one and only hope of telling me who I was and even they were at a loss as to whom, not to mention what I am. They all stood in silence as I cried. Even the once vibrant and curious Tooth flittered to my right unable to do anything.

"Thank you for coming here and thank you for trying to help but if it's ok with all of you I really would like to be alone right now."

They mumbled their acceptance and Tooth patted me on the shoulder and tried to bring a smile to her face. Suddenly a bright portal appeared in my room and each one in turn stepped through it till it disappeared. That is except for Jack. Instead of leaving he sat down on the bed next to me and passed me a tissue. I took it from his hand and wiped my tears away that had now, thankfully stopped.

"Are you going to be ok?"

I looked up at him and his face showed nothing but concern. At that moment I felt horrible. He had gone to all this trouble to bring these beings here to help me and all I could do was cry and tell them to leave. I felt so ashamed. So I tried to show a brave front, hunched up my shoulders, and plastered a smile across my face.

"Of course I will be fine. It's not like it's the end of the world or anything. Plus I have Sophie and Jamie who seem to care a great deal even though I have only known them for two days. I suppose all things considered life isn't that bad. I guess if I can't remember my old life I will just have to make new memories."

Jack still looked a bit forlorn but I think he understood that at this point there really isn't that much he could do. So he stood up and started to leave.

"Jack."

He spun around to look at me.

"Really thank you for doing all this even though it didn't really work out."

"Don't worry Ara we will figure out who you are. I promise."

And with that he left through the window leaving a cold chill behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

I didn't dream for the rest of the night and woke up to the alarm going off next to my bed. I turned it off and stared out from underneath the covers. Was this going to be my life from now on? Was I now a nanny? Then what, Sophie would eventually grow up and I wouldn't be needed anymore? I pushed the covers back as I tried to push back the thoughts that were now flying around my mind. I stood up and went about getting Sophie ready for the day.

As we were sitting on the couch watching something called My Little Pony Jamie came down the stairs ready for school.

"Hey Ara can I talk to you for a second in the kitchen?"

"Of course."

I followed him into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"Jack told me what happened last night, with Tooth and everything."

For some reason this upset me more then it should have. Why does Jack need to go and tell Jamie about my problems. He shouldn't be worrying him when there is nothing that can be done.

"Jack shouldn't have told you."

"I think he is worried about you."

"Well I'm fine so there is no need to worry about me. Now don't you need to be getting off to the bus before it leaves?"

"Can we talk when I get back from school?"

"Jamie there is nothing to talk about everything is fine now you should go before Sophie comes in here and I have to explain all of this to a six year old."

He gave me the same concerned look that Jack gave me last night, and like Jack turned and left.

The rest of the day was uneventful. I took Sophie to see a movie called Escape from Planet Earth. Which was truly amazing. It was like watching television but on a much larger scale. Plus Sophie introduced me to popcorn and something called a Butterfinger. Both of which were amazing. Although I was not completely fond of the fizzy drink she picked out for me. It seemed to make me burp after every sip.

We returned back home and we played with her toys for a while till Jamie finally arrived back home.

He was very insistent that we talk through what was going on but I asked him what we could possibly talk about that would change anything. That seemed to put to rest any thoughts of "talk" Jamie wanted to have for the time being.

Life went on like this for a while. Jack made various appearances during Sophie and my playtime outside. He would freeze the lake so we could run around on it and initiated many snowball fights that Sophie and me made sure he lost. For that brief amount of time things seemed like they would be ok. I could pretend that it didn't matter who I used to be and just have fun. It all would have been fine if it hadn't been for the dreams. For some time they were the same. Always that room, that door, and someone on the other side. They were comforting that is till they turned darker. Ever so slowly the room would become darker and the light behind the door was no longer light but pure blackness. The person behind the door also changed as well. I don't know how I knew this but whatever was behind that door terrified me to my very core and thankfully I always woke up before it opened.

It had been about three months since Sophie had found me and I became her nanny. I was beginning to understand the ways of the world but as time went on the dreams I had seemed to get worse. Well not worse per se. They were always the same, but the fear, the fear of them became worse to the point where I dreaded sleep. I would attempt to stay awake all night but to no avail. Eventually what was just in my mind started to show on my face. Dark circles took up residence under my eyes and I became very pale. It was obvious to everyone, save Karen who was busy with work. Something had changed in me. And one night as I was trying to stay awake Jack came knocking on my window.

It didn't startle me, as much as it used to since every once in a while I would find him hovering outside my window. I walked over and let him in. I made my way back to the bed and under the warm covers as Jack placed himself at the end of the bed.

"Ara something is going on with you. I'm not sure what it is but whatever it is you seem to be getting worse. Are you sick?"

I clutched my knees to my chest and looked down at the quilt on my bed.

"No I don't feel sick. It's stupid really, I have just been having bad dreams."

At this Jack sat bolt upright and this did startle me. He looked more then just concerned he looked down right furious like I had done something wrong.

"What they are just bad dreams I'm sure they will go away eventually. Sophie has bad dreams sometimes but they never last. Mine are just taking longer to go away." I said trying to put a smile on my face.

But still jack stared at me anger playing over his face and then he spoke in a dark low tone.

"For people like Sophie and Jamie bad dreams are a part of life they are normal and yes they do go away with the help of the Sand Man. But for people like us bad dreams are a lot more."

People like us. There were no people like me I was utterly alone in who I was and I let him know that.

"There aren't people like me Jack. Remember I'm not even like you and the other Guardians. I am something completely different so how in the world do you know if this is normal or not. For all you know this could be my natural state."

He was taken aback a bit by the anger in my voice and his face softened but the anger was still there.

"What I mean is bad dreams are not just bad dreams. You know that my fellow Guardians, we all represent something. Well we are not the only things out there."

I was completely confused by what he was saying.

"So you are saying there are other beings out there like you, like me possibly?"

I felt myself getting excited maybe there were others out there like me maybe I wasn't alone after all. The anger came back to his face.

"No Ara you are not like him you are nothing like him whatsoever."

This time it wasn't just anger in his voice there was real fury there. You could see his whole body shaking with it. I moved closer to him and placed my hand on his trying to calm him down from wherever he was right at that moment.

"Jack who are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Pitch."

"You mean that boogeyman thing that Sophie and Jamie talk about? What about him?"

He relaxed a little and stared down at my hand on his. If he could blush I know at this point he would have. I did when I realized my hand was still on his. I quickly pulled my hand away but he could see the blush in my cheeks and whatever anger was there before vanished as that crooked smile played over his face. I tried to recover myself but my voice still squeaked a little.

"What does Pitch have to do with any of this?"

Noticing he actually had to answer my question he straitened up a bit and began explaining.

"Pitch wasn't always what he is now. From what the others told me he used to be this king of nightmares. We fought him once and we defeated him. But that doesn't mean he isn't still around somewhere bidding his time. And I'm afraid he is bidding his time inside your dreams. How long have these bad dreams been going on?"

It seemed that they had always been there but that wasn't the case.

"About three weeks. At first they weren't that bad but they just keep getting worse. No that's not it I just keep getting more scared."

That set off something in Jack. Not anger but down right concern.

"You need to come with me. We need to go see the others and we especially need to talk to Sandy."

"It's the middle of the night Jack and eventually it's going to be morning and they are going to notice I'm not in my bed. Then what?"

Jack was already on his feet opening up the window. It seemed as if I had no say in the matter.

"I promise I will get you back before Sophie wakes up. I will tell Jamie though just in case."

I slammed my hands down on the bed.

"I'm not going anywhere in the middle of the night. Even if Jamie is made aware of it."

Jack turned on me and was at my side so fast I didn't even see him move.

"This isn't something we are going to discuss. You can either come with me or I can drag you out of here. Now you don't want to wake the whole household and explain why you think an invisible man is trying to take you away to the North Pole. Do you?"

I wanted to slap him in the face, and I almost did but the look in his eyes stayed my hand and I gave in.

"Fine go and tell Jamie and I will get dressed."

Feeling that he had won for now he made his way out the window and to the next room over to inform Jamie of what was going on.

When he left I slipped on a warm blue sweater and pants. Jack returned as I was tucking my hair up underneath my winter hat.

"Jamie will take care of anything in the event we aren't back in time. Are you ready."

I was but then something occurred to me.

"Umm how exactly is this going to work? I can't fly you know."

I don't think this had actually occurred to Jack and at that moment he was as at a loss as I was.

"Umm climb on my back. That should work right?"

"I don't know you are the one that flies through the air."

He smiled that crooked smile again and said,

"Yeah I'm sure that will work."

Jack bent down and I hesitantly climbed on his back. I wrapped my legs and arms around him and as if my weight meant nothing to him he leapt to the window and pushed off. It was a bit awkward at first and he stayed close to the ground but after he found his footing, so to speak, we rose up into the sky. I thought I would be terrified. That I would choke Jack from the fear of being up so high, but that wasn't the case. It was thrilling to be up so high above everything. I kept craning my neck down towards the cities moving fast away underneath us. Jack could obviously feel me squirming and taking this for fear on my part he asked

"Are you ok back there? If your scared close your eyes and it will be all right."

I couldn't help myself I started to laugh.

"Close my eyes why in the world would I close my eyes this is amazing. I love it up here it seems…well it's…wonderful."

Jack of course being Jack took this as a challenge.

"You think this is amazing watch this."

And all of a sudden we started doing spirals in the air. Whirling around and inside the clouds. He was trying to test me I think to see how much I could take. All I could was say "More." And to Jack's credit he didn't disappoint.

I'm sure it took us a bit longer then it should have to reach Nicholas' home at the North Pole, but it was worth every minute. When Jack started to see the lights of the buildings he pointed out into the distance our destination. We zoomed over beautiful buildings covered with snow and finally through an opening in the biggest building of all. Finally setting down in what can only be described as a control room of sorts. I let go of Jack and completely lost my footing and started to tumble the floor. Jack was there at my side faster then you could blink holding me up by the waist. I started laughing,

"I guess I'm not that graceful huh?"

Looking me directly in they eyes with that smile on his face,

"I don't know you are pretty great."

I blushed all over and I knew he could see it but for the first time ever I could see the smallest hint of a blush in his cheeks. Thankfully I was saved from this awkward moment by some of the largest hairiest things in the entire world rushing towards us. I would have ran and hid if Nicholas hadn't been in the front leading them towards us.

"What in the world are you two doing here? Don't you know it is only a few days till Christmas? We are too busy for sight seeing right now Jack."

"I wouldn't have come if it wasn't important. Ara has been having nightmares for three weeks now and they have only been getting worse."

He moved in closer to Nicholas and whispered

"And look at her she doesn't look like herself at all. I'm worried that this is more then just bad dreams."

I could hear everything they were saying even though they were trying to be quite but it didn't matter because all around me was the most amazing place I had ever been. It was bustling with all kinds of activity. Running from here to there were the hairy beasts I had seen before but there were also these small little fellows with bells on their hats wandering around. Then I looked up and saw a giant globe in the room lit up with so many lights I couldn't figure out what they were. I was so entranced by the globe I almost didn't notice the white light shining through the place Jack and I had come through. I looked up and even though I had seen the moon before many times back at Jamie and Sophie's for some reason it looked different here. All I could do is stare at it and suddenly that all familiar fuzziness in my head began to clear and I felt as if someone was calling me from far away. It wasn't so much in words but in the light playing across my face. This light I knew this light I knew these words. But before I could remember anything further that light took over and blackness started to encroach on my vision. I don't remember falling but I did remember those cold arms holding me close as I drifted into unconsciousness.

I was in a different room this time but I knew somehow it was in the same building as the other room in my dreams. The room was lit up by that same beautiful pearlesence. But this time I was younger much younger and wrapped in a blanket as someone held me close singing a familiar song. I felt complete and happy wrapped in her arms as she sang sweetly to me. She smelled of spring and flowers and even though I couldn't see her face I knew she was smiling. She didn't say anything and she didn't need to. All I needed was that song and the smell of flowers.

I unwillingly opened my eyes to the shouts of Jack pleading for me to wake up. As I blinked my eyes I could see that not only was Jack and Nicholas standing over me but the rest of the Guardians as well.

"Ara are you alright?"

Came Jack's worried voice. I looked up at him seeing the concern in his eyes and said,

"Of course I'm alright. I must just be exhausted by the trip and all the activity going on in this place."

The concern didn't leave his face,

"Then why are you crying?"

I brought my fingers up to my cheek and sure enough there were tears streaming down my face. But I wasn't sad it was the complete opposite I was happy truly and wonderfully happy.

"They aren't sad tears." I said with a faint smile on my face.

All those assembled over me looked confused, except for the happy face of Sandy. Somehow he seemed to know what those tears meant and smiled at me and I smiled back.

Jack pulled me to my feet and I whipped the remaining tears from my face. Then the chatter began. All at once the Guardians began to talk. Even Sandy kept popping up pictures over his head too fast to understand. It was only Jack that stood quite looking at me more concerned then he had ever looked before. Then he looked away and called the rest to order.

"Look the fact is there is the possibility that Ara's dreams are not just run of the mill nightmares and that Pitch might have a hand in this. And if he does have a hand in this he might not only have plans for Ara he might actually know who she is."

I tore my gaze away from the others and looked at Jack intently.

"But isn't that a good thing. I mean…well the dreams aren't enjoyable but if he knows who I am isn't that good?"

There was hope in my voice but Jack's face did not change, if anything it became graver looking.

"You need to understand Ara, Pitch is not good and if he is somehow messing with your dreams or knows who you really are he won't use that to help you. He will use that against you."

I looked at him incredulously and all but screamed at him

"But if he knows who I am I don't care. You don't understand what it's like not knowing who you are. Only getting small glimpses of possible memory only to have it yanked away from you. You have no idea what this feels like. If this Pitch knows who I am then I want him to tell me and if you won't help me then I will find him myself."

The room stopped and there was complete silence. No one moved or said a word. They just looked at Jack and me. And for the first time ever Jack looked at me with pure anger. Not towards anyone else but at me. He was fuming and shaking worse then I had ever seen him shake before. But instead of yelling back at me just flew away. And we were all left there staring after him. Except me I just stared at the place where he had been and I knew somehow I had gone too far.


	7. Chapter 7

It was Tooth who finally said something.

"Well this is no good. Umm…Ara why don't we go get you warm and cleaned up. How about that?"

I tore my gaze away from the spot Jack had just vacated and looked into her calming face and nodded my head and followed her out of the large room. We walked down a hallway for a while till we came to a bedroom with a roaring fireplace taller then even me. And I stood there staring at it. Tooth unzipped my coat and took my hat and mittens off and placed me in a seat by the fire. Placing my stuff on a table Tooth made her way to the seat opposite me and sat down. Facing the fire but still facing each other she started to speak in low voice.

"You shouldn't have yelled at Jack like that Ara."

I looked up at her, anger in my face,

"Well he doesn't know what this is like he has no idea how I feel."

Tooth gazed into the fire and continued to speak.

"That isn't true Ara he, more then anyone, knows what you are going through."

I wanted to say something but Tooth talked before I could respond.

"Jack wasn't always how he is now, Ara. He used to be very alone in the world and no one could see him save us. And I am sad to say we really paid him no mind either. I know that Jack and probably Jamie or Sophie has told you about how we fought Pitch before?"

I was about to answer when Tooth continued.

"But I don't think you know the full story. See Jack was made a Guardian long after we had been Guardian's for many centuries. He didn't remember who he used to be or even understand the role that he was given but accepted it and spent his days bringing winter to the world. That was till he found out about the teeth I keep and what they would mean for him."

Tooth gazed into the fire more intently and continued her story.

"You see unlike us, Jack didn't remember who he was before he became Jack Frost. All of us Guardians remembered who we used to be. The lives we had before we took on this mantel. But Jack only remembered the cold and the knowledge that he was Jack Frost. When he found out about the teeth and the memories that they hold he fought tooth and nail to retrieve them from Pitch who had taken them. But he fell into Pitches world beneath the Earth and there, instead of helping my fairies he choose his memories over them. Because of this we almost lost against Pitch. But it was because of his memories that he remembered who he was and who he wanted to be. Thanks to him the children of the world were saved and Pitch was sent back below the Earth."

Tooth looked up from the fire into my eyes.

"So you see Jack knows how you feel. He knows what it's like to not know who you are or where you belong."

I thought she was going to continue and start chiding me for what I had said to Jack. But she left it at that and stared back into the fire. Which somehow was far worse. We sat there for a while in silence till I finally found my words.

"Tooth could you do me a favor and help me find Jack? I really need to talk to him."

Tooth smiled,

"I thought you might."

And with that Tooth stood up and threw the massive windows in the room open letting in the cold of the outside.

"I will be right back I think I know where he is."

And with that I was left alone to wait and hope that Tooth could find Jack so I could beg his forgiveness for what I said.

I waited for what seemed like forever but then when I thought he would never come the windows flew open again and in floated Jack. He walked over and jumped up on top of the baseboard to the bed.

"Tooth said you wanted to talk to me."

He couldn't even look at me when he said this, he was still so mad at me. I stood up and walked over to Jack. Trying to think of what I was going to say to him in hopes that he would forgive me. But nothing came. I stood in front of him as he looked across the room and away from me.

"Jack could you come down here so I can talk to you."

At first I thought he wouldn't but he floated down to stand in front of me, but still refused to look at me. So I did the only thing I could think of. I threw my arms around his waist and buried my face into his neck and hugged him. I could feel him startle beneath my hug. I knew he wasn't expecting this at all. But he still stubbornly stood there not moving his arms to receive my hung. I lifted my head from his cold neck and whispered in his ear.

"Jack I am so sorry I am a complete idiot. I didn't know, but still that's no excuse I shouldn't have yelled at you."

The tears started to roll down my cheeks onto his hoodie and freeze there.

"You have done nothing but help me since we first met and all I can do is yell at you. Please Jack forgive me."

There was nothing more I could say so I buried my face back into his neck. I thought for a moment he would stand there like a statue but then I felt his arm wrap around my shoulder and the other rest upon the back of my head. He pressed his cheek against my forehead and we just stood there for what seemed like forever. Somehow forgiving each other with no words.

It was Jack that broke that moment. Not by pulling away from me but by lifting my head from his neck. Tears were still streaming down my cheeks. Instead of whipping them away jack blew on them and my tears turned to small bits of ice that Jack wiped away with his fingers. He smiled down at me and I smiled back up at him. The blush rising in my face even though he had just cooled down my cheeks. It was a moment like nothing I had ever experienced but before I had to worry about what to do next Nicholas burst through the doors of the bedroom. We both broke apart fast as Nicholas came towards us.

"Oh sorry was I interrupting something? I can always come back later."

He said, his voice filled with mischievous mirth. Jack and I both looked up at him and we tried to stammer out words but only noises of that signaled "no" came out.

"Well in that case I think we have an idea so if you two would follow me."

Jack and I looked at each other once more and then fell in step behind Nicholas.

He led us back to the first room I had come into and all of them were assembled around a soft glowing bed that only Sandy could have produced. Nicholas began to speak

"Sandy thinks that he can figure out once and for all if Pitch is really in your dreams."

I looked down at the smiling face of Sandy and asked

"how exactly is that going to work."

I knew of course Sandy never spoke but he did pat the glowing bed for me to climb up and lay down. I looked around the room and back at Jack. He smiled that crooked smile and said

"Sandy knows what he's doing. Trust him."

With that I crawled up on the bed and lay down. Sandy moved to hover behind me and Nicolas began to speak again.

"Sandy thinks he can enter your dreams and see if the nightmares you are having are being made by Pitch or if they are something else entirely." I shifted in the bed a little trepiditionous about this but from above the smiling face of Sandy looked down on me and I knew none of the people in that room would let anything bad happen to me. With that Sandy placed his hands on either side of my head and my eyes began to close.

I was once again in that room but it was that of the dark room. I was sitting in the same place on the bed and the door started to creak open. This was usually when I would wake up but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't wake from this dream. The door continued to slowly open and I made my way to the other side of the bed and huddled on the floor well out of site of the door. The door was fully open at this point and a dark shadow fell across the floor. It started to move closer and closer to where I was on the other side of the bed. Instead of waiting to see whom it was I slipped myself underneath the bed. I lay there on my stomach trying not to move or breath. I looked up and I could see dark feet moving around to the side of the bed where I once hid. Then came the voice.

"O little one, little one where are you my little one."

I nearly screamed at this but managed to cup my hand over my mouth and kept from uttering a peep. But the voice continued as it walked around the room.

"I know you are here little mouse. I can hear your heart beating faster then a hummingbirds wings."

Tears started to run down my face and into my hand as I desperately tried to remain quite.

"O my little mouse where could you be. O I know where you are UNDER THE BED."

And with that the bed was moved with such force if flew across the room and thudded against the wall. I just lay there my face still cast at floor level at the dark feet that were now standing in front of me. I wanted to move, to run, and to scream but I just lay there paralyzed by what was before me.

"O my beautiful little mouse I found you."

With that I removed the hand from my mouth and whimpered as I began my slow gaze up the figure in front of me. It was if the he found a way to dress in night the clothes were so black. I eventually made my way up to the face in front of me and in that moment I wanted to scream but found no voice coming out. Instead I skittered across the floor till my back was against the wall where the headboard used to be. My knees thrown up to my chest hugging myself and crying as I looked in the face of the man in front of me. My heart raced as he moved closer and bent down so his face was mere inches away from mine. He took out one bony little finger and placed it underneath my chin bringing my eyes to look into his. That is when I finally screamed at the pure fear and darkness I saw there. When I thought I could scream no more a golden light started to appear in the corner of the room where the bed lay in a heap. It grew bigger and bigger. I moved my eyes over as far as I could to look as the bony finger still rested under my chin. As we both looked a figure started to appear. Small at first then filling out into the form of Sandy. My heart leaped for joy as the golden light from Sandy grew larger and spread across the room. Then I heard the creature in front of me grown. The light Sandy was giving out was somehow painful for it. He removed his finger from my chin, stood up and started to back away from the glowing light. It eventually engulfed me and I felt safe once again. The pearlesent color of the walls started to come back and the darkness inside of me receded, as did the creature. Behind the door it went and then it shut, and with that I sat bolt upright in the bed Sandy had created for me. Tears were running down my face and then the cool body of Jack picked me up from the bed and sat down on the floor rocking me back and forth as I cried like a small child for what seemed like an eternity.

When I finally could move again without shaking from fear I disengaged myself from Jack and stood to look at the rest of the Guardians. I thought it would be Nicholas that would speak first but it was Sandy who floated over to me and grabbed my hand, smiling up at me. Somehow I knew without words that he was apologizing for what he had put me through.

"It's ok Sandy I'm fine now. Thank you for stopping it though."

He looked relieved by this and let my hand go but didn't move from my side. Nicolas began to speak then.

"From what we saw of your dreams Ara it does look like Pitch has found his way inside them. The black figure you saw that is Pitch Black The Nightmare King."

He paused there and I took the opportunity to speak.

"Why is he in my dreams?"

At this Tooth spoke,

"We don't know darling. All we do know is he has his sights set on you for some reason."

I looked at all the faces in the room, even Jack's and knew at that moment not one of the knew what to do.

"So can you stop it?"

I looked down at Sandy,

"Can you stop the dreams and keep him out?"

Sandy cast his gaze downwards with a frown spreading across his face and I knew he couldn't.

"But you vanished him from my dreams just a moment ago so you could do it again right?"

He wouldn't look up at me he just stared at his feet. It was Bunny who spoke next.

"Sandy could keep him away for awhile but eventually he would overpower him."

My mouth slipped open and I just stared.

"But you are supposed to be these all powerful Guardians you are supposed to defeat him and keep him at bay. Why can't you do that for me? What makes me so different?"

They all looked at each other and I knew in that moment there was something they weren't telling me.

"Tell me what makes me different."

I said sternly with no emotion in my voice. Tooth flittered closer to me

"It's because Pitch has leached in to you. Usually Sandy can break that bond. He has done it before with other children but even though he kept him away this time he won't be able to do it forever because…"

Tooth's voice grew quite.

"Because why?" I asked.

"Because you and Pitch have a bond that Sandy can't break."

If at all possible the room grew quitter. I was afraid to ask the next question that I knew had to be asked, because I desperately feared the answer.

"What kind of bond do we have."

I quietly asked. This time it was Jack who spoke.

"Because as far as Sandy can tell you are related to Pitch."

I staggered backwards at this and all I could do was turn and run. I know Jack tried to follow me but I could barely hear as someone behind me restrained him. And I ran till I found myself outside the city completely and I collapsed onto the white barren Tundra of the North Pole.


	8. Chapter 8

**Here is a bit of a deviation from the movie as I included Mother Nature from the books by William Joyce, which the movie is based off of.**

I didn't cry and I didn't move as I looked up at the night sky and murmured the word "related." How could I be related to that dark creature? There is nothing like him in me…or is there? I just didn't know anymore and at that moment I gave up. I didn't care if I froze or if anyone found me. All I wanted to do was just have it end. That's when I heard it, the song. It was faint but it was playing across the tundra. No not across the tundra in it. The song was coming from the ground bellow me. I rolled over and pressed my bare ear to the cold snow. It burned but I didn't care. All I wanted was that song to fill me up. It seemed to get louder as if it was moving up from below the ice closer and closer towards me. There were no words to the song just a melody playing over and over. Then from the ground came a woman. She seemed to slip through the tundra floor as if made of mist. She came to rest in front of me, standing there looking down. I slowly pulled myself off the cold ground and brushed myself off to stand in front of her. She spoke with a stern but beautiful voice,

"Why do you lie on the cold floor of the North Pole with little else on but a sweater and pants?"

I didn't know exactly what to say so I just spoke the truth.

"I just ran away. I guess I didn't consider what I was wearing."

She smirked at this and glided towards me. Her long black hair blowing in the wind and her flowing gown rustling as she moved. She came to a halt inches from me and looked me over from head to toe.

"Ara why are you here."

I shot my glance instantly at her face looking down at me.

"How did you know my name?"

She smiled at this and said

"I have always known your name Ara ever since you were a little baby."

Then there was that flash again of being held in a woman's arms as she sang to me. And I realized this was the woman that held me. I grasped as my head began to pound and any chance at remembering more was lost with the headache that was now forming.

"Are you ok?"

She said concern sweeping over her beautiful face.

"My head hurts."

She moved to place her fingers at my temples and began to rub. My headache started to dissipate and was then gone within moments.

"There is that better."

She asked looking down at me.

"Umm yes much better. Thank you."

She removed her fingers from my head and placed her hands back at her sides. I looked up at her and asked,

"Who are you?"

Her smile grew wide and she responded,

"I have many names but most call me Mother Nature."

This didn't shock me at all, because this woman in front of me couldn't be anyone else but Mother Nature.

"Why are you here?"

She looked confused by this as if the answer should be plain enough for anyone to know.

"Because you were laying on the cold ground looking up at the stars, neither moving nor speaking. So I came to see why you look as to have given up on the world."

She spoke so plainly and I couldn't help but respond in kind

"I have given up because I found out I am related to an evil creature."

She raised an eyebrow at this,

"You mean Pitch Black?"

I wanted to be shocked by this but for some reason it seemed natural that she should know everything there is to know.

"Yes I mean Pitch Black."

She moved and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself Ara, no one can choose who they are related to. Things like that are planed out by beings even greater then me."

"But he's evil and with the way he is going he plans to take over my dreams. And who knows what else."

She didn't move but continued to speak

"Ara you can't change what other people will do to you in this universe you can only change how you react to it. Right now you have a choice. You can lay here in the cold till you eventually freeze to death. Or you can do the opposite of that."

"But I don't know what the opposite of that is right now."

"The opposite of giving up Ara is to fight. You can't change what Pitch has planed for you but you can fight against it. Or you can lay here, that choice is up to you Ara."

I gazed up into Mother Nature's eyes and somehow I knew it wasn't in me to give up. Whoever I was before and whoever I was now. I knew deep down inside I was not a quitter.

"Then I will fight."

A large and beautiful smile spread across the long face of Mother Nature,

"I knew you would fight Ara."

"How could you possibly know that when even I didn't?"

"Because you are Ara, it is as simple as that."

And with those final words Mother Nature huddled me close to her and I felt the wind pick up around us. One moment we were in the middle of the frozen tundra and the next we were at the entrance to Nicholas' home. I wanted to ask how she did that but somehow it seemed like a stupid question so I said thank you and began to walk towards the center of the city. From behind me Mother Nature spoke one last thing to me

"Ara always remember you are who you want to be not who you used to be."

I turned to look at her but she was gone.

I made my way back up to the control room and there slumped across the place were the figures of The Guardians. As I entered the room the figures before me stood straight up and Jack all but ran towards me.

"Are you ok?" he stammered out.

"No but I will be."

I turned and walked towards the rest of them,

"From what I understand, and correct me if I am wrong, Pitch is inside my dreams. And from the feel of these dreams he is soon going to be inside my mind."

I paused to see if any of them would disagree but as I guessed none of them did.

"So we only have one option the way I see it. We go down to where this psychopath lives and we make sure that he can never do anything like this again."

Smiles crossed their face and I knew they all agreed with me.

Jack returned me once again to my room well before I would have to wake to take care of Sophie. I started to peel off my jacket, gloves and mittens as Jack sat down on my bed. Something told me he had no intention of leaving and to be honest I felt safer with him there. I decided that putting on my pajamas was too much work and instead crawled underneath my covers.

"Are you going to go to sleep?"

I looked up at him a frown on his face and concern in his downcast eyes. And I just started to laugh. I had to stifle it a bit knowing that everyone was still sleeping but Jack looked at me as if I had finally gone mad. I stopped laughing and told him,

"No I have no intention of going to sleep tonight even though I am extremely tired."

"Good."

I sat up and crossed my legs under the covers.

"Why is it good? If I fall asleep you will be here to wake me up right?"

I smiled over at him but all he did was lift his head and glare at me.

"What it's just bad dreams for now I don't think he can get in my head yet."

Jack looked back down at his hands laying in his lap and spoke,

"You were screaming Ara. I have never heard anyone scream like that before. It was as if you were dying."

"You mean when Sandy put me under."

"Yes, you just kept screaming and thrashing that we all had to hold you down"

I looked at him in disbelief. I knew it was bad but I didn't realize how bad it must have looked to them. I pulled myself up and moved over to Jack. I pulled his hands into mine and his blue eyes looked into my grey ones.

"I'm sorry I scared you all. It was terrifying and I'm sorry you saw that. But it's over for now and we will find Pitch and we will defeat him I know that."

"Ara if he can do that to you in a dream I can't imagine what he will be able to do to you in person. I'm afraid he is going to kill you."

I looked down at our hands. His were always so much colder then mine but even though they were I never seemed to mind. I always loved the coolness of his skin. It was somehow reassuring. I smirked as I thought of this and Jack whipped his hands away from me.

"This isn't funny Ara you could die if we go down there."

I kept looking at where his hands used to be and spoke calmly

"I'm not afraid to die Jack. I don't think I ever was really afraid of that outcome. Because Jack, he doesn't want to kill me he wants to control me. I can feel it even when I'm awake in the far corners of my mind this dark presence weaving around. I'm afraid that when we go down there he will take me over completely and he will use me against all of you. That's what he really wants. Because be honest Jack could you fight me."

He started at this,

"Of course I could fight you."

I smirked again at this

"No Jack not are you capable of fighting me but can you. Will you take that staff of yours and come after me to kill me."

Jack then did something I really didn't expect. He started to cry. The tears made their way down his cheeks and started to freeze there. He couldn't look at me he could only cry. So I did the only thing I could I placed my hand across his cheek and wiped away his tears as he once did for me. He finally looked me in the eyes and we stared at each other. He then started to inch ever closer to my face and I blushed like I had never blushed before. That's when Sophie flung the door open and jumped up on the bed. "GOOD MORNING!" she screamed as she jumped up and down. I looked at Jake one last time and once again I saw that faint blush in his cheeks. And I had to wonder as I grabbed Sophie and started tickling her. Was there ever going to be a time when we weren't interrupted?


	9. Chapter 9

The next few days passed by uneventfully as the Guardians readied themselves for battle. Jack refused to leave my side taking up a silent vigil every night perched atop the baseboard of my bed. Waking me up whenever my dreams started to spill out into short sobs. I wasn't exactly sure what we were waiting for but Jack assured me that the others knew what they were doing and were waiting for an old friend to give them some advice. That advice must have come as a week after my trip to the North Pole there was a flash of light in my room and the Guardians surrounded me once again. They informed me that it was time to go. So I took out the most appropriate thing I had to wear on an occasion like this. The dress and bracelet Sophie found me in. My logic was if I was going to go down I was going to do it how I came here. When I returned to the room everyone's jaws dropped.

"It's the only thing I have of where I came from. I figured it was appropriate attire for the occasion."

All of them approved with a smile on their face. I let them know there was one last thing I had to do. I left the room and walked into Jamie's. He was sound asleep but I nudged him awake. He slowly opened his eyes and even though I was kneeling down he could see I was wearing the dress Sophie had found me in.

"You're leaving aren't you?"

He looked so sad as he said that.

"Hopefully only for awhile and then I will be back. I want you to give something to Sophie for me ok."

I pulled off the bracelet from around my hand. It was the only other thing save for my dress that I had come here with, and put it into Jamie's hand.

"If for some reason I don't come back tell her I went home to the fairies. But this bracelet is hers and every time she wears it I will always be with her."

I could see the tears start to form in Jamie's eyes.

"Hey it's going to be ok. I'm tough remember I fell from the sky and I'm still here. Nothing can hurt me."

We both knew it wasn't true but we clung to that lie as I hugged Jamie as hard as I could.

"You're a wonderful boy Jamie and I know someday you are going to grow up to be an even better man."

I kissed him on the forehead, and as his tears finally began to fall I turned and left his room off to fight the darkens.

As it turned out we didn't have that far to go as the entrance to Pitch's kingdom was in the forest by the house. We all stood around this gaping hole punched into the earth that seemed to go on forever. I couldn't stand the silence any longer so I spoke first

"Ok so what do we do here just jump on down there or what?"

"Basically." Nicholas said, "but first this is for you."

Nicholas handed me a small short sword. It was beautiful and sparkled in the moonlight.

"Umm thanks but I don't exactly know how to use a sword."

"You take the pointy end and put it in the bad guy."

Bunny piped in.

"Well ok then we are ready." I said as I smiled back at him.

We all took one last look at each other and one after another we plummeted into the dark hole in the earth.

I expected more of a plummeting into the earth type feeling but the descent was slowed somehow as if we were expected. Which I assume we probably were. Stretching out in all directions were tunnels with no light save for the small glow of Sandy next to us.

"So which way should we take?"

Asked Tooth hesitantly. I turned and faced one of the tunnels and I knew deep down inside that this was the one we should take.

"It's this one."

And I pointed down the inky black tunnel.

"I'm a little frightened that you know that."

Said Bunny standing next to me.

"You and me both."

With that we set out down the tunnel. It didn't take long to reach the mouth of what appeared to be a large cave. Except from out of the darkness you could see the outlines of buildings stretching out in every direction.

"I think this is it. This is where we need to be." I said trying to keep the fear out of my voice, but I doubt I fooled anyone.

Then from the blackness of a cave there came a voice, echoing off the walls.

"You all came. What a turn out we have here."

Like a well-oiled machine every Guardian made a tight circle around me. Laughter rang out in the darkness.

"You really think that's going to help. You are in my world now Guardians and you all know what I want. Isn't that right Ara?"

I tried not to scream as my name passed over his lips. I could feel that inky blackness in the back of my mind creeping in as he spoke.

"Why are you even here Guardians? She isn't a child. This really isn't in your wheelhouse. Why don't you just leave her to me and go back to your children.

"No one here is letting you have her Pitch."

Jack screamed out into the darkness. This was again met with laughter.

"Jack Frost, it's nice to see you again. Still fighting the good fight I see."

I could hear Jack about to respond to this but that's when I felt it, the earth open up beneath me. I tried to scream to claw my sword into anything solid but it was more then just a hole there was something there pulling me under. And before any one noticed I was falling it was too late I was already gone.

Laughter rang out again through the cave.

"Your circle tactic seemed to work very well I see."

"Give her back," Jack screamed.

As the last words left his lips the cave lit up with dull pale light. Casting shadows everywhere. But most importantly it lit up Pitch. He was standing above them and I was standing in front of him with his hands around my head, unable to move or to scream. I could feel the blackness creeping into every corner of my brain. I tried to fight and for a while I did, but the tears started to roll down my face and I knew I couldn't fight him forever that he was just too strong. Then I felt it a tug somewhere inside as the darkness spread. And all anyone could do was watch on as I changed before their eyes. My hair turned first from fair blonde to raven black. It then started working its way down turning my dress from it's once pail blue to the color of darkens. And finally I felt the final bit of Pitch's power flow over and into me. A darkness that I could not fight I could only let it take me over. And then all there was left was a dark smile on my face and the knowledge that I was going to kill these people in front of me.


	10. Chapter 10

Everything had changed. I could now see perfectly in the darkness and I could feel the creatures around me. And I knew these creatures would do my bidding and I wanted to command them. I wanted to set them upon the Guardians bellow. But I could feel it wasn't the right time yet. Which was made ever more clear by Pitch who began to speak behind me.

"Doesn't she look wonderful, my princess of Nightmares? Now my darling princess I'm going to let you destroy your old friends down there. Would you like that?"

He looked down at me and I knew this was all I wanted tot do.

"Yes my king I would like that very much."

And with that the fight began. I didn't even have to move from my perch all I needed to do was call the creatures in the darkness and they obeyed my every command.

"Destroy them" I bellowed out.

And with a whoosh they were off engulfing the Guardians below. It was difficult to see what they were doing through the inkiness but from time to time you could see flashes of gold from the Sandman and that tell tale blue from Jack Frost. It seemed like an eternity till finally one of them broke free from the depths bellow. And of all the ones it could have been, it was the one I wanted to fight the most, Jack Frost. He floated there in front of me staring at me and then he spoke.

"Ara listen to me, this isn't you this is Pitch he is controlling you. Fight it Ara, Please."

When he spoke I could feel a distant tug in my mind and for a moment I faltered where I stood. But then I felt the dark hands of Pitch on my shoulders and that tug disappeared.

"I'm sorry dear boy but your Ara isn't here anymore." Came Pitches voice from behind me.

"My darling princess would you like to take the pleasure of killing Jack Frost for me?"

"My king it would be my pleasure."

With that I pulled the sword from my side. The one Nicholas had so generously provided for me. Now warped by the darkness so that it whipped around the blade like mist. I pointed it out at Jack Frost,

"Are you ready to fight me boy because I intend to kill you."

And with that I lunged at him. He sideswiped me fast but not fast enough, as dark red blood dripped off the end of my blade.

"You are fast Jack but obviously not fast enough. If at all possible please hold out for a little longer I so do want to savor this."

And I lunged at him again but this time he blocked me with his staff. Face to face I could see his blue eyes burning with pain and it filled me with such joy.

"Ara please I know you are in there. This isn't you I know it isn't."

There was that tug again but this time it only angered me. Why did this boys words matter so much. Why do they pull at me? I pushed away and flitted in the air in front of him.

"You don't know who I am boy. You never did, even I didn't know who I was. But now I know, this is who I am this is who I was meant to be all along."

And I came at him again and we went back and forth at this for awhile till something switched in his eyes and he stopped playing at the defensive and started playing some offense. Which was when his staff shot out a giant blast of ice at me. I was completely unprepared for this and tried as hard as I could but my sword couldn't cut through it quick enough. And the sheet of ice knocked me out and I fell.

I woke to feel the cold stone beneath me, and someone standing over me. I knew it was Jack I could feel his presence. I tried to move but the blast he delivered me did a lot more damage then I thought it had and it took me more time then I would have liked to pull myself up. I knew I was in no shape to fight him so I did the only thing I could I baited him.

"Well boy are you going to finish it? Do you have what it takes to be a true Guardian and defeat the evil in front of you?"

"Ara please stop this I know this isn't you. I might not know who you were but I know who you are and this isn't it."

"Oh Ara this isn't you, Please Ara come back."

I laughed at him as tears started to form in his eyes.

"Get it through your thick skull boy the Ara you knew isn't here anymore there is just what you see in front of you. And I won't stop you know. I will keep coming after you till one of us is dead. So be a man and end it."

He hesitated for just a second and moved towards me. But he didn't raise his staff he just walked towards me and I raised my sword to him. He stopped as the point of my blade rested on his chest.

"I'm not going to fight you Ara. If you want to kill me then do it. Drive your sword into me and end this once and for all."

I gritted my teeth and prepared to thrust my sword at him but I made the mistake of looking in his eyes. Those eyes, I knew those eyes. And then the flashes started and I stumbled backwards dropping the sword. I kept on stumbling as if the flashes were physical apparitions thrusting me back. And Jack followed as I started to scream and pound at me head. It felt as if I was going to spilt apart. There was just too much inside of me. And then I felt the cold. Not a biting cold but a calm coolness envelop me. And there was Jack, his arms wrapped around me holding me as I collapsed to the stone floor.

I started to cry and to wail as I was unable to get a hold on my own mind.

"Ara, Ara look at me!"

And I looked up at him into his eyes.

"Listen to me you need to fight him you need to banish him from your head."

I sobbed as I listened to him speak and blurted out my words,

"Jack I don't think I can it hurts too much. It's like he is ripping away at my soul."

"Ara I know you can do this."

"How can you know that Jack, how in the world could you know?"

"Because Ara you are the strongest person I know. You came here not knowing who you were and instead of give up you made a new life for yourself. You knew that if we came here something like this would happen and you still came because you don't give up. But most importantly Ara I know this because I love you."

It was at this moment that a dark shadow appeared behind Jack and a small short black dagger slid into his chest by his heart. Jack's eyes grew wide with shock and I lay there in his arms as blood started so spread across his hoodie. He faltered. And he slowly let me down on the ground and turned to the figure of Pitch standing triumphantly behind him. Instead of collapse Jack stood throwing his weight onto his staff as he did. This obviously surprised Pitch who took a tentative step back as Jack raised his gaze to meet Pitch's.

"You can't have her Pitch she doesn't belong to you."

He swayed as he said this and I made it to my feet to stand beside him. All things gone from my mind save for Jack.

"Oh Jack Frost don't you get it I've already won. Right now your fellow Guardians are fighting my creatures. No one is coming to help you not even your precious Ara. I might not be in her head anymore but she is of no use to you."

Jack turned to look at me and smiled even though I could see that he was in great pain. And that is when Pitch struck out with my sword. The on that I had dropped earlier and pierced Jack through the stomach.

"You see Jack I have already won. This was never just about Ara Jack this was about revenge. You were the one that banished me here. You and your pathetic Guardians. Ara was just a means to an end. See I can't fight you above but down here, oh down here I am King."

And with that Pitch withdrew the blade from Jack's stomach and the blood began to spread again. Jack stumbled back and I caught him across the waist as we both made our way to the ground. I looked up and Pitch was nowhere to be seen. We were alone Jack and I as he lay in my arms dying


	11. Chapter 11

**It's a short chapter but, oh is it an important one ^_^**

Tears began to well up again in my eyes as Jack stared up at me a crooked smile playing against his face.

"Hey don't cry it's not that bad."

I couldn't respond I could just sob as I looked down at him.

"Ara it's going to be ok don't worry."

I finally found my voice and all but screamed at him.

"It's not going to be ok Jack you are bleeding all over the place. And I think you are dying."

He tried to laugh at this but his body was wracked with spasms as he did.

"Don't laugh Jack don't move. PLEASE! Someone help me." I screamed

But no one came. We were alone there in the darkness and I could do nothing to help him.

"Jack I don't know what to do. Please tell me what I can do?"

Instead of speak Jack used what I can only imagine was the last of what energy he hand and placed his palm on my cheek and pulled me close to his face and that's when he kissed me. It was cold and soft and so sweet and I wanted it to last forever. But then something began to happen. As I kissed him something in me began to change and I began to glow, and the glow spread. Changing my hair back to its fair blonde state and returning my dress back to it's once fair blue. But it didn't stop there the glow continued up wards into my mind and it spread. At that moment as my lips left Jacks I knew. I remembered who I was.

From below me came the quite voice of Jack.

"Ara you're glowing."

I looked down into his eyes and said,

"I know silly that's what stars do we glow."

He laughed again and the spasms racked his body as he did.

"Don't move ok."

He smiled up at me,

"So you're a star, that makes sense. You always seemed to glow from the inside."

All I could do was cry even more. I didn't know what to do and I couldn't stop the bleeding.

"Jack I am so sorry. None of this should have happened this wasn't how it was supposed to happen."

"How was it supposed to happen? Please let me know."

He looked up at me waiting for me to continue. And through sobs I told him.

"I have lived up in the night sky my entire life and watched the Earth grow and change bellow me. And all I ever wanted to do was be down there with everyone, to run and play and be happy. But I was content to live in the sky. Till I saw you, saw you as a little boy and I watched you grow up, so mischievous and so loving. I watched on that day you saved your sister, sacrificing your self to the cold beneath the ice. I cried so hard for you till the man in the moon raised you up and your hair turned white and you became Jack Frost. I continued to watch you, as you would turn the world white and play tricks on people. And every day I loved you more and more. Till finally I couldn't take it anymore so I did what all stars can do, I fell. I fell so far and so fast that when I landed I couldn't remember who I was or where I came from. But I knew the first time I saw you that somehow you were important to me. I didn't know how much till right now. So you can't leave me Jack you can't leave me when I finally found you."

Tears started to stream down his face as his blue eyes looked up into mine with such love. And he reached up his hand and cupped my cheek again. "My Ara, my beautiful star. You know I think I was waiting for you too."

And then his hand dropped and those once sparkling blue eyes went dim. And I knew he was gone. I tried to pick up his body to kiss his lips but he wouldn't wake up. He just lay there unmoving. And I cried. Till I had no tears left. So I took his staff and laid it across his chest. Then I took his arms and crossed them over his staff. It looked as if he was sleeping a smile still on his face. I closed my eyes and looked up and when I opened them again anger filled every corner of me. Anger that I let this happen. Anger that I let Pitch use me like this. And anger that I remembered who I was too late. And at that moment I knew Pitch was going to pay.


	12. Chapter 12

**Again a bit of the back story here is taken in part from the wonderful books of William Joyce.**

I stood up and the light inside me burned brightly. And in the darkness I could feel the creatures scatter as my light burned them. And through the darkness I rose higher and higher till I was in the middle of the battle. And that is when I burned bright as only stars can and in one fell swoop I drove every one of those creatures away. And all that was left was the battered Guardians behind me and Pitch Black in front of me.

"Ara…so you remember who you are then I see." He said in a strained voice.

I started straight ahead at him.

"I remember everything Pitch. I remember who I am, I remember what you did to me, and I remember who you are…Grandfather."

I could hear the collective gasps from behind me but they no longer mattered this was between Pitch and me. Then a small voice broke through the tension.

"Ara where is Jack?"

I turned around to face them, worry lining her face, Tooth stared at me tears welling up in her eyes. And all I could do was look down. She took off like a flash into the darkness followed by Sandy. Nicholas and Bunny stood side-by-side pain showing in their faces. And from bellow we all heard Tooth scream as she discovered the body of Jack Frost. At that moment they all knew he was gone. And I turned on Pitch. There was a smile there playing across his face.

"So I actually did it, I killed the boy wonder."

My inner glow blazed up again and Pitch took a step back.

"O my little mouse you have no one to blame but yourself you know. If you hadn't foolishly fallen from the night sky I never would have been able to get inside your head. But you just couldn't help yourself could you. You just loved him so much. You are so much like your father Ara. And oh wouldn't he be proud of his little girl. His little girl that let one of his precious Guardians die."

From behind me came a small whispered "No." uttered by both Nicholas and Bunny.

"Oh that's right you had no idea that Ara here is the daughter of your venerated Man in the Moon. His pride and joy, daddies little star."

I continued to looks straight ahead even when I heard Tooth and Sandy return with what I knew was Jack's lifeless body.

"I know this is all my fault Pitch. I know that because I wanted to be with the humans so bad…and with Jack, that I fell from the night sky. My father warned me about you before I fell and warned me that I might loose my memory but I was stubborn and young. I was the cause of all of this."

At that moment you could see a glimmer of hope in Pitches face that maybe he would leave this place with his skin in tack.

"Stop smiling you have nothing in this world to smile about. Because grandfather, you and I we have unfinished business that needs to be settled."

Pitched realized right then he wasn't going to get out of this. That I could and would reduce him to a whisper in the wind. And with that I began to glow.

"Ara you don't know what you are doing. Come now little mouse we are family you wouldn't hurt family would you."

Pitch's pleas went on deaf ears as I continued to glow. I glowed brighter and hotter as I had once done in the night sky. And as I reached my breaking point I let go and sent a shockwave of light out to engulf everything around me including the fleeing figure of Pitch, who screamed as my light hit him. Then there was quite again and darkness, but there was no Pitch in this darkness.


	13. Chapter 13

Together we carried the body of Jack Frost back up to the surface. The night still engulfed everything with only the Moon and stars to light our path. Till we came to the clearing where Sophie had found me. There we all stopped and laid the lifeless figure of Jack down into the snow. There were no words at this point just quiet sobbing for those around me We just stood there and let the coldness whip around us. It was I that spoke first.

"I know there are no words that I can say to express how sorry I am. This was my fault. If I had just stayed in the sky where I belonged. Pitch would never have been able to use me and Jack…Jack would be alive."

As Nicolas was about to respond the wind around us picked up so fiercely and from on it's breeze appeared the figure of Mother Nature. She moved closer and edged her way so she was standing next to me. She placed her hands on my shoulders once again and turned me to face her.

"Oh Ara my sweet, sweet girl none of this is your fault. You only ever did what came natural to you darling. You looked down on the Earth and you longed to be apart of it. And you did what is only natural for you, you fell to Earth to be with those you loved."

I looked up in the face of Mother Nature

"But Pitch, I couldn't stop him."

"Ara, Pitch is who he is and he will always use those who are pure of heart to fight his battles. But in the end you fought him off and you dissipated him to mere specks of his former self."

"But Jack…he's dead because of me."

"No, Jack died to protect you because darling he loved you. For him that was the only natural thing he could do."

I was about to protest when the snow beneath us began to glow. And we all looked up as the moon seemed to be getting bigger and brighter. And as those beams fell down to the ground there came a man walking down one of them till he was firmly planted in the snow. He was small of stature and he carried a staff in one hand with a crescent on top of it. It was at this moment the Guardians standing there realized who this man was and one after another they all kneed to the ground. From above them came a soft yet somehow booming voice.

"Oh none of that get up, get up."

They all began to rise but were still a bit put on edge be the fact that The Man in the Moon was standing in front of them.

"Well this is such a sad scene here isn't."

As he said this he made his way over to stand next to Mother Nature.

"Well I suppose something has to be done about this doesn't it darling?"

At this Mother Nature removed her hands from my shoulders and stood to face her husband. And saying nothing smiled down at him. Then they both turned and made their way to stand on opposite sides of the lifeless Jack Frost. The wind started to pick up and the moon began to glow again. And to this day no one is sure exactly how they did it but as the wind whipped around Jack it lifted his body off the ground and the light of the moon engulfed him. Then it was over and that same wind brought him slowly back down to the ground.

We all waited in the silence for something, anything to happen. And then Jack Frost's eyes popped open he jumped up from his position on the ground.

"So what did I miss?"

Everyone seemed to cheer at once and embrace Jack. But all I could do was stand back as my parent's made their way to stand behind me. Jack must have seen them move and then he saw me standing there glowing brightly with amazement in my eyes.

The rest of them parted in front of him and Jack started walking over to me. I wanted to run to hide, to blaze back into the sky and forget this ever happened. But I just stood there frozen to the spot. He stopped inches from me and I started to speak, but he put his finger up.

But instead of saying anything he grabbed me around the waist and kissed me so deeply I thought my legs would buckle. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back just as deeply and there we stood together. When we finally broke off Jack bent his head down and whispered in my ear

"I meant what I said Ara I have always been waiting for you too."

And with that I kissed him again and hoped it would never stop.


End file.
